Zeolitic materials are known to have utility as sorbents and to have catalytic properties for various types of hydrocarbon conversion reactions. Certain zeolitic materials are ordered, porous crystalline materials having a definite crystalline structure as determined by X-ray diffraction, within which there are a large number of smaller cavities which may be interconnected by a number of still smaller channels or pores. These cavities and pores are uniform in size within a specific zeolitic material. Since the dimensions of these pores are such as to accept for sorption molecules of certain dimensions while rejecting those of larger dimensions, these materials have come to be known as “molecular sieves” and are utilized in a variety of ways to take advantage of these properties.
One type of zeolite structure used for catalytic processing of petroleum streams is ZSM-48, a disordered high-silica zeolite with one dimensional 10-ring channels. U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,827 discloses ZSM-48 and its preparation using a mixture of a C2-C12 alkylamine and a tetramethylammonium compound.
R. F. Lobo et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 13222-13230) reported that ZSM-48 is not a code for one material but for a family of materials with different degrees of disorder. The framework structure of ZSM-48 has been assigned the three-letter code *MRE by the Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association. Other materials of the *MRE framework type include COK-8 (described in Chem. Mater. 2009, 21, 371-380), EU-2 (described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,685), EU-11 (described in J. Catal. 1984, 85, 135-142), IZM-1 (described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,771,703), SSZ-91 (described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,802,830) and ZBM-30 (described in European Patent Application No. 0046504).
A number of organic compounds have been shown to direct the synthesis of *MRE framework type molecular sieves including organic linear amine and polyamine compounds, diquaternary alkyl ammonium compounds and glycols.
According to the present disclosure, it has now been found that (2-hydroxyethyl)trimethylammonium cations, (2-hydroxypropyl)trimethylammonium cations, propyltrimethylammonium cations, and benzyltrimethylammonium cations are effective as structure directing agents in the synthesis of *MRE framework type molecular sieves.